Swing Shift 2 -CH3- (Patreon)

- Org Charts

Mark had led them straight off from the assembly room where everyone had met up, and down a hallway off to one side. That went into a secured lobby with an uninhabited secretary desk. Once they got through that very heavy door that was clearly reinforced, Gus had found a lobby, a general open area, a break room, and a multitude of rooms he didn’t even know what would be the purpose for. There was even a garage in the back that had a massive steel door in front of it that led outside. It had several SUVs, sedans, and an armored vehicle parked in the bays.

At the back of all of this though had been another very heavy looking door.

Looking through that open doorway, Gus wasn’t sure how to proceed. He saw a series of eight offices. Four on one side, four on the other.

“And this is where you’ll be sitting,” Mark said. “I made sure to put Gus in an office with one on each side of him and one directly across the way.”

“Thank you, Mark,” Melody said, moving into the hallway. “I appreciate your foresight.”

“Course. Gotta keep the talent happy,” Mark said.

“And what does that make me?” Gus asked.

“You’re what makes the talent happy,” Mark said then he tossed a set of keys to Gus which he caught more out of reflex than will. “ There’s all the keys. It includes the only master key so be careful with it, yeah?

“Alright. I’ll check in with you later this week. Be sure to have your new hires ready for me. Contracts, titles, and payscales are in one of your offices, can’t remember who. See ya.”

Not waiting any longer, Mark turned around and left, leaving Gus, Trish, Vanessa, and Melody alone there.

“The hell is he doing,” Gus muttered.

Vanessa hadn’t been idle. She’d walked over to a utility closet nearby and opened it. Peering inside she was apparently looking for something.

“Goodness. My own office and everything,” Trish said, peeking into the office that she’d been assigned to. “And it’s right across from Gus.”

Course it is. She’s going to stare at me all day long, I bet. With those glowing eyes that are way too much for me.

Then again. Maybe that’s better than Melody being there.

Or Vanessa even. I might end up staring at her instead.

Thinking about it, Gus had to admit that maybe Mark had done it right.

“Found the utility panel. Building services always has a tendency to label things if they have the opportunity for it,” Vanessa said. “Apparently this is the ‘organized crime’ circuit box I’m looking at.”

“Organized crime? I suppose that makes sense,” Melody said, walking back toward where Gus was standing. “Especially when you take in that he told us to go after a coven first.”

“There was badge readers on every door,” Trish said. “The kind that require a thumbprint at the same time. I hated those when I was cleaning. Always made me feel weird and paranoid going into those places. Like… what were they hiding that the cleaning lady had to have a thumbprint scanned?”

Pressing a hand to his temple Gus could only nod his head, and then shake it.

“Yeah. He’s setting one of us to become the head of the department,” Gus said. “Probably Melody if I don’t miss my guess.”

“What? Why me?” Melody asked, taking the keys from Gus’ hand. Her fingers lingered in his own for several seconds before she went back down the hall.

“Because I wouldn’t want it, and you’re the better candidate anyways,” Gus said. “I’d never be able to stop myself from peeking into people’s heads. Especially for end of year reviews or work performance stuff.”

“Makes sense,” Vanessa said, coming back over his way. “Does that mean we need to start hiring people like he said? I thought he was just being… Mark.”

“No, there’s contracts here,” Trish said having gone into her office. “And the payscales… and titles. Just like he said.”

Grumbling, Gus went down the hallway and went to Trish’s office.

The interior was immaculate.

It had a large L-shaped desk in the corner, a stand with three monitors on it, and a keyboard and mouse laid out on it already. Perched on the side against the wall was a large brand new desk phone.

There was a file cabinet on one wall, a white-board on the other, and along with a television set on the last wall.

Everything in there looked expensive.

From the desk, to the chair behind it, to the round table near the corner of her large office with eight chairs.

Looking to the packets of papers Trish kept pulling out of her desk, Gus didn’t fail to notice the sticky note on the top packet held a single word on it.

A name in fact.

“Patricia Ash,” was written in clear text.

Mark hadn’t randomly put the paperwork in here as he’d implied with his demeanor.

“Guess you’re our accountant,” Gus said, moving into Trish’s office and leaning up against the wall.

“I… am?” Trish asked, pulling ever more paperwork out.

“Kinda my guess as well,” Vanessa said entering Trish’s office. Pulling out a seat at the round table she sat down in it. “Any good with numbers?”

“I mean, I think so? Maybe?” Trish said, sounding unsure. “I’ve had to budget every dollar of my salary for the last six years. Down to the pennies. I’ve been living hand to mouth for so long I can’t remember not.”

Mark had someone look into Trish. Which means he also looked into Vanessa.

“Any surprises in your office?” Gus asked, looking to Vanessa.

Vanessa’s mouth thinned out and she folded her arms across her chest.

“Confidential informant papers. Lots of them. Along with several briefcasses filled with what I’m willing to bet is confidant money,” Vanessa said.

“I just found an accounting book, a bank account statement, and a ledger,” Trish said, pulling said items out of a cabinet drawer.

“Durh’s been busy,” Gus said.

“And speaking of busy,” Melody said, walking into Trish’s office. Stopping at the entry she put her hands on her hips and looked rather authoritative. “Let’s get busy ourselves. We’ve got a coven to crack. I’m… really excited to be honest, by the way.”

Melody went over with a little hop to Trish’s round table and took a seat herself.

“If Gus is right, and I’m made a section leader for the Fed, that means I can get to read all sorts of secrets!” Melody said in an ecstatic giggle. “Secrets, answers, and all sorts of things. I love secrets. I love having more puzzle pieces to work with.”

With a Grunt Gus sat down in a chair that had an empty spot on either side of himself.

“Guess we should start figuring out what to do,” he said simply. “I know some about the coven. Any of you know anything?”

“No,” Vanessa said with a shrug. “Still the rookie. I just keep getting promoted faster and faster though. Not sure if I’ll ever not be the rookie.”

“Champagne problems dear, champagne problems,” Melody said with a wave of her hand. “I know nothing myself. I’m not a native you’ll remember.”

“I tried not to get involved,” Trish said. “Especially with vampires. They can be pushy.”

“Guess it’s all me then,” Gus said. “Should probably give Dave a call and see if he’d be willing to part with anything on them as well.”

“He’s in the middle of a move right now. Probably will be out of contact for at least another week or two,” Melody said. “He’s convinced it isn’t the end of what happened with the bombings and he doesn’t want to be around for the next attack.”

“I mean, I don’t think it’s over either,” Gus said. “Just not much to go on right now though. But since we’re organized crime… I’d say that was an organized crime, wouldn’t you? Let’s put that one on our back burner and keep an eye out for it.

“Anyways, Saint Anthony coven. They deal mostly with clubs, bars, prostitution, blood-running, and some vampire designer drugs. They really are rather small time stuff. Tight enough of a criminal unit that you can’t really pry much out of anyone. Not stupid enough to do anything to get caught either. They’re just called the SA on the street. Those who aren’t enamored with them call them sack, as in SAC, instead.”

“I’m guessing that’s changed, otherwise Mark wouldn’t have put us on it and talked about it the way he did, right?” Melody asked.

“Suppose so,” Gus muttered. “I guess our first order of business is intelligence gathering.”

“Agreed,” Vanessa said. “Thinking of canvassing neighborhoods of known or suspected SA activity?”

“Yup. Just cause I’m a Fed doesn’t mean I’m not a detective,” Gus said with a snort. “Figure we do that, then maybe hit up all the holding facilities. See if any suspected SA members are being detained in any way right now. All I need is a few minutes to ask questions and we can start prying our way in. Questions and answers will give me more to work with. And that’ll be more questions and answers. I’ll just see where it takes me.”

“I like it,” Melody said immediately. “That’s a perfect way to figure out what we’re starting with. It isn’t like we can ask the previous division. They’re all dead. If we’re lucky we’ll find some informants or people they were working with.”

“Well, guess that means we figured out what your role is, Gus,” Vanessa said, smiling at him.

“Oh? What’s that?” Trish ashed before Gus could.

“Lead detective, interrogator, and senior recruitment interviewer,” Melody answered with a laugh. “It fits perfectly. Right?”

“Exactly,” Vanessa confirmed. “We can just let Gus go at anyone we want to get a really good look at.”

“Oh! We could eventually get him listed as an actually psyker if we do it right,” Melody said, leaning over the table. “Like maybe he just developed it recently kind of thing.”

“Uh-huh,” Gus said trying to change the subject. “If that’s my job, fine. I’m actually good with that. I’ll be good at it.”

Getting to his feet Gus tapped the table with three fingers.

“Alright, I’m going to go sit in my office and start callin’ around to all the local detainment facilities. See if we’ve got anyone. Also to the longer-term facilities that handle vamps.”

“I guess I’ll look at our finances,” Trish said with an odd pout to her lips.

“I’m going to go see if I can’t hire some people,” Melody said. “Since apparently we need a whole bunch of people. Maybe I’ll call my niece. She always has a good idea of what mercenaries are around and looking for more stable work.”

“Guess I’ll start walking through all the CIs I know of and start branching my way out,” Vanessa said. “I get the feeling maybe some of the ones I used to know might know about the coven.”

“Oh, we should reach out to-”

Melody’s voice was cut off as Gus closed the door to his office.

It looked just like everyone else’s. There was nothing waiting for him and it seemed as if it were just exactly that.

An office.

Sitting down in the chair, Gus moved the mouse slightly.

Instantly the screen flickered to life. He found himself looking at a PID login screen that had been clearly repurposed for Fed usage.

“Did you gut the PID of everyone useful?” Gus said with a chuckle. He was fully expecting that if he called the IT department he’d get Michael. “In fact.”

Realizing he didn’t have login credentials, Gus realized he was going to have to call IT anyways. Unless Mark took care of it and put it somewhere for him.

Opening the top desk drawer attached to his desk revealed several pristine what pages of paper. The top paper was indeed his credentials.

“Good work, Durh,” Gus muttered. “What else did you leave me?”

Checking the two other drawers he found nothing.

Getting up, he checked the overhead cabinets above his desk.

No sooner that he’d opened it than a flood of packaged condoms rushed out.

Unable to close the cabinet as the unending load of prophylactics rushed out at him Gus gave up and just sat down.

After ten seconds passed the tsunami of birth-control was over.

Falling partially out of the cabinet now that it was empty, was a piece of paper that’d been taped to the inside.

“Keep the talent happy, hugs and kisses,” Gus growled, reading the letter aloud.

The door to his office opened and Gus found Vanessa standing there.

“Oh,” she said, taking in the mess. Dismissing it in the same glance she cleared her throat. “Did Mark leave you login credentials? Did it have mine on them?”

Brushing a handful of condoms off his desktop, Gus opened his drawer and looked into it. Peeling back the first page he found that it did indeed have everyone else’s as well.

“Yeah, here ya go,” Gus said pulling the paper and handing it over.

At the same time a condom fell out of his cuff and landed on the paper he was holding out.

“Mm, thanks. You can keep the condom, we don’t need them, remember?” Vanessa said and then left his office.

Nodding to himself, Gus leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes.

He had to plan his revenge for Mark.

There was a soft tap on his door, getting his attention again.

Opening against his better judgement he looked to his door.

Standing there was the Construct he’d met earlier, Indali.

“Hello again, Indali,” Gus said, ignoring the condoms. It might go easier that way.

“Agent Hellström,” Indali said, the corners of her mouth curling up slightly. “I was told to come see you by Agent Lark.

“Would another time be more appropriate after you’ve… cleaned up?”

“No,” Gus said shaking his head and pointing to the second cabinet above himself. “Because I’m sure the other cabinet has just as many in it. Or something as bad or worse. Mark doesn’t hold back when he decides to do something.”

“Ah… yes,” Indali said, nodding her head. “What is it you wished to see me about?”

“I honestly have no idea, she didn’t tell me anything,” Gus said. Leaning to one side he tried to peer out the window that was beside his door. Melody was likely right there. “Melody?”

“Hire her for the front desk!” Melody shouted back. “Calling about a mechanic!”

Looking back to Indali Gus raised his hands in defeat.

“It would seem I’m supposed to hire you to work our front desk. You saw it out there I’m sure,” Gus said. At the same time he took a needle thin thread of his telepathic power and easily slipped it right into Indali’s mind.

Ever since his brush with death he’d found his telepathic powers he inherited from his father had become stronger.

“I did,” Indali asked, her eyebrows raising. “And what is it you could offer me that Assistant Director Ehrich can’t?”

She was surprised. She’d had no idea what Gus had actually needed from her.

There was a dark part in her mind that had immediately gone to the idea that Gus had asked her over to make a pass at her. It’d happened to her in the past and she’d come to expect it to a degree from Humans.

“I have no idea,” Gus said honestly. “Is there something you want that he didn’t get you? I probably can’t beat him salary since he dictated me my own but… you never know. I might have something he doesn’t.”

Gus doubted it, but he wasn’t going to go against Melody. If she was working this fast already it meant she had a plan and he wasn’t going to get in it’s way.

Following Indali’s thoughts was easy. As a Construct she was predisposed to a way of thinking that was linear.

Linear, straight, to the point, and very physically oriented.

Indali wanted to be hired by the government itself. As an Agent or otherwise, except she didn’t have the right background and paperwork to make that happen.

She wasn’t a citizen, she wasn’t technically living, and she was young as far as Constructs went. She’d only been formed during the formation of British India.

And beyond that, the most unfortunate reason why she was trapped in the job she was, she had a record. She’d been involved in a murder that wouldn’t be cleared from her files for a long time.

A Construct she’d known, had been friends with, had killed several people and fled. Leaving Indali as an accessory and the only person to put the blame on.

Fifteen years of her life had been spent behind prison bars in India.

Mark had done what he could to get her hired on, but even he couldn’t force her through the bureaucracy that was the Fed.

They were starving for people, but he’d told her he simply couldn’t convince his boss to put her into agent training.

“I’m afraid there really isn’t anything you could offer me,” Indali said with a sweet smile. “Though I’m flattered at your wish to hire me specifically.”

Frowning, Gus had an option available to him that Mark didn’t.

He could call the curator and ask him for a favor.

Melody had said he wasn’t available, that he was moving, but there was always the possibility of him picking up.

“No? Nothing?” Gus asked, staring hard at Indali.

“No,” said the woman with a shake of her head.

“Are you really sure?” Gus asked again. He needed her to tell him what she wanted. He couldn’t do anything about it otherwise.

Indali stared hard at Gus, her thoughts working from one to another as she considered telling him.

Smiling at her all he could do was wait.

And that was apparently the right answer.

Entering his office, she closed the door behind herself. 

“I want to work for the Federal government itself,” Indali said turning to face him. “I’m technically working for a third party company employed by the Federal government to staff their entry lobby.

“I’m sure if I took the job you’re offering, it’d just be a third party hire just like I am today. It’s a contract.”

Shrugging her shoulders, Indali gave him a cold and dead smile.

“And you can’t because?” Gus asked.

“I have a record that prevents it,” Indali said, folding her arms behind her back.

Her memories flitted to her time in prison.

A prison where they sent Paras and didn’t care if they came back out of again. Where she was locked in a form that she wanted nothing to do with and couldn’t escape.

She’d managed to protect herself in that hell-hole, protect her “honor” as she called it, though she’d killed a number of other inmates.

“Okay. I can probably have that wiped out,” Gus said.

Reaching over to his desk phone he began moving condoms out of the way. Picking up the receive he began to tap a number into the number-pad.

He’d memorized it a while ago just in case.

“You… what?” Indali asked. Her mind was a whirlwind of hope, fear, and violent negativity. Coming over to the front of his desk she sat down in one of the chairs there.

Several condoms fell off the edge of the desk and into her lap.

The line suddenly picked up.

“Hello Gus, hows it going?” asked the Curator on the other end of the line.

“Hey Dave,” Gus said. “Not too bad. Trish fixed my broken back. On a job now with the Fed. Contracted formally with Melody. I’m her Indigo.”

“I’m aware,” Dave said. There was a definite pleased under-tone in his voice. Gus couldn’t quite understand it but he was happy the Curator was happy.

“So… I know you’re moving and all, but I was wondering if I could ask you for a favor. Obviously with a favor for another time to be paid back.”

“Sure, not a problem. What d’ya need?” Dave asked.

“Need all records wiped for a person and replaced with something placid,” Gus said, leaning sideways in his chair. He had no doubt that the Curator would call in for information from him since he worked for the Fed.

Gus didn’t care.

He had no loyalty to the Fed since they were more likely to kill him and his whole family for no reason other than what they were.

Boogiemen as a species were a “destroy on sight” race.

“Huh… alright. I can do that. Name?” Dave said.

“Indali Jaya, Construct race. Material type,” Gus said.

“Alright. Probably going to take a few months but it’ll be done,” Dave said.

“Great, thanks. Oh, uh… probably… going to buy a house here in a few months,” Gus said. “You wanted to know if we moved so… letting you know that’s the direction we’re going.”

“Haha, thanks, Gus. I gotta go but I’ll take care of this,” Dave said.

“Great, thanks Dave, I’ll see you later,” Gus said and hung up. “There we go. Can you start tomorrow for us?”

Indali started to slowly nod her head. “Tomorrow… yes. Tomorrow. Who… who was that?”

Gus grinned and flicked several condoms out of his lap.

“The Curator. He’s… a friend of mine, I guess,” Gus said.